CONAKRY (Reuters) – Guinea’s military government has proposed a shorter timeline for a transition to elections of 24 months, government spokesman Ousmane Gaoual Diallo said, down from a 36-month timeline earlier rejected by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The junta that took power in a coup last September has been under pressure to restore civilian rule sooner than the 39 and then 36 months proposed by interim President Colonel Mamady Doumbouya.
A team of ECOWAS representatives was in Guinea to discuss a more “reasonable” transition to elections this week.
Diallo told reporters on Friday that the start of the 24-month period would be determined during a conference in December.
The junta has proposed to start the 24-month transition in January 2023, he added.
ECOWAS said in a joint statement with the Guinean government that it had co-developed the 24-month timetable with Guinean authorities and that the bloc would provide technical and financial support to carry out the transition.
It did not mention a potential start date.
The bloc imposed economic sanctions on the country after the junta took power.
(Reporting by Saliou Samb; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Alexander Winning)
